Meet the Team - Vets

We are extremely proud of our staff at Ash Tree Vets.

Every team member is committed to providing the very best treatment possible for your pet.

All our veterinary surgeons attend courses regularly keeping them informed of the latest developments in veterinary medicine. They all specialise in the treatment of small animals, and pursue active further education in various areas.

Within our team we have vets who have particular interests in the following areas

Dermatology - all types of skin diseases

Orthopaedics - bone, joint and muscle problems

Ophthalmology - diseases of the eye and eyelids

Cardiology - heart problems

Soft tissue surgery - operations on the different organs within the body

Nick Turner-Henke

Veterinary Surgeon

After growing up on the outskirts of Birmingham, Nick graduated from Edinburgh University in 1995 and has been part of the Ash Tree practice since moving to Market Harborough from Lincolnshire in 2000.

Nick loves getting involved in all aspects of his work: "I would consider myself a good all rounder. I find it hard to pick a 'favourite' part of my job, as it is the variety that keeps me on my toes and thirsty for knowledge".

Nick runs and cycles and often competes in distance running and adventure races when time allows.

Asked about his personal life, Nick says: "I have a wonderful wife, two great kids, two rescue dogs and a rat".

Stella Coulson

Veterinary Surgeon

Stella graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2009 and after time abroad travelling, joined Ash Tree Vets to start her veterinary career in 2010. Originally she only planned on spending a few years in Leicestershire, but couldn’t leave the wonderful patients, clients and colleagues at Ash Tree Vets.

Stella is passionate about all of her patients and their wellbeing. Her main interests lie in medical cases along with diagnostic imaging.

Despite a busy work life, she still manages to satiate her love of travel and is always planning her next trip.

Tim Appleton

Veterinary Surgeon

Tim graduated from Cambridge University in July 1991. He has worked within the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire area ever since, and has always enjoyed his work at Ash Tree Vets, getting to know the clients and their pets well over the years.

He has a particular interest in orthopaedic surgery, gaining satisfaction from watching animals run happily again after major operations.

He really enjoys the outdoors, especially walking and camping in Wales with his two dogs “Bertie” and “Ella” keeping him company.

Jack Barnard

Veterinary Surgeon

Lucy Blenkinsop

Veterinary Surgeon

Lucy graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in July 2015. For nine months she worked in a small animal hospital in Kettering and then joined the Ash Tree Vets team.

Lucy enjoys all aspects of being a vet, but has a special fondness and interest in rabbits and also medicine cases. Another part of the job Lucy really enjoys is meeting new people every day and the variety the job provides.

In her spare time, Lucy loves crafting and always has a project on the go. She has taken up horse riding and also enjoys traveling to different places in the world.

Narumi Ito

Veterinary Surgeon

Narumi qualified at the University of Bristol. Her main interest is surgery, and she also enjoys meeting and getting to know new clients and their pets. She is passionate about providing the best care possible for her patients.

Outside of work Narumi enjoys pursuits such as gymnastics, trampolining and cheerleading. She likes musicals, dining out, and a spot of shopping. She can also play the piano, which makes her great in our opinion!

Nigel Jacklin

Veterinary Surgeon

Nigel graduated from Cambridge University in 1995 and worked in small animal practice in Northampton for 12 years before joining Ash Tree Vets in 2007.

Nigel enjoys providing continuity of care in the many varied cases we see at Ash Tree. He has particular interests in orthopaedics, particularly cruciate surgery, ultrasound and cardiology.

Nigel’s interests outside work include squash, playing the guitar (badly!), water sports and anything to do with flying.

Sonia Lynch

Veterinary Surgeon

Sonia qualified from Liverpool University in 2002. After a short stay in Canada, working as a mixed practice vet, she moved to Chippenham for a further 8 years. Sonia joined Ash Tree Vets in 2010 to concentrate on small animal medicine.

She likes her case load, loves the clients and enjoys working with a really good team.

Sonia enjoys walks with her two dogs Harry and Maggie.

Liz Mears

Veterinary Surgeon

Liz qualified from Bristol University in 1999. After working in mixed practice in Somerset for 2 years, a further 2 years in New Zealand South Island, and 9 years in Oundle, she joined Ash Tree Vets in 2014.

Liz enjoys a positive atmosphere with her colleagues, especially when given a chance to work up and solve tricky cases, gaining great satisfaction from successful outcomes.

Outside of work, Liz enjoys spending time with her 3 children, veggie growing on their allotment, walking, cycling and novelty birthday cake baking.

Ella Miles

Veterinary Surgeon

Ella graduated from Liverpool University in 2002 and has worked in small animal practice ever since, joining Ash Tree Vets in 2008.

Ella enjoys feline medicine and loves the variety that working in veterinary practice brings.

At home, Ella has a young family as well as a bit of a menagerie, including; donkeys, goats, pigs and chickens, a three legged dog and a cat rescued from work. When not being a vet, Ella and her husband run a Christmas Tree Farm.

Neeleigh Sparks

Veterinary Surgeon

Neeleigh graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2012 and spent two years working in a small animal practice in Norwich before taking some time out to travel and volunteer at an animal clinic overseas. Having spent time at Ash Tree as a student learning the ropes, Neeleigh returned to her home town of Market Harborough to join the team of vets here in March 2015.

Neeleigh enjoys all aspects of being a vet but in particular the challenge of investigating medical cases and the satisfaction of making a difference both to the lives of her patients and their owners.

When not working, Neeleigh enjoys nature photography and never says no to a shopping trip!

Victoria Swift

Veterinary Surgeon

Victoria graduated in 2001 from Glasgow Vet school, worked in a busy inner-city practice and as a track vet for racing greyhounds, before gaining her PhD in 2008. She was both a lecturer and clinician at Edinburgh Vet School for 8 years specializing in canine and feline medicine and dentistry before joining our team in 2016.

Her main interests are veterinary dentistry and urology (urinary system). She is passionate about providing the best quality individual care for all of her patients.

Outside of work she is kept busy by her three gorgeous children and enjoys baking, gardening, all types of craft and running.